


A Hogwarts Love Story

by KatKeller



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Slow Burn, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:13:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29398884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatKeller/pseuds/KatKeller
Summary: When new girl Eleanor starts at Hogwarts she is determined to keep her head down and stay out of everyone's way, but a certain pair of twins seem intent of bringing her out of her shell.
Relationships: Angelina Johnson/Fred Weasley, Fred Weasley & George Weasley, George Weasley/Original Female Character(s), George Weasley/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	1. A New Start

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, I had an idea and ran with it. If you like it then leave a comment or a Kudos and let me know if you want to see anymore.

Eleanor Victoria Jane Hemmingway sat in a comfortable chair, across from a man with possibly the most impressive beard she had ever seen since joining the wizarding world. The man was the prestigious Albus Dumbledore, and her new headteacher.

Dumbledore spoke about what the school would expect from her, a new fifth year student who was starting the year a month behind everyone else. Her blue eyes were downcast as he talked, fingers fiddling with the sleeves of her new Gryffindor robes.

Eleanor was a nervous young woman. She had always been shy, but events that had transpired less than a month ago at her old school of Ilvermorny had only sought to add anxiety to her character. Eleanor was muggleborn. Something that did not matter to her, but certainly did to the group of 6th year boys that had snapped her wand and beaten her into a pulp, leaving her bleeding on the floor of one of the less used halls, for the caretaker to find.

She felt her chest tighten as she started thinking about it. There were little things that kept bringing her mind back to that night; the feel of her new wand in her hand, how it no longer felt like an extension of herself. It was a touch heavier than her old one and the slight bumps on the handle were not worn down enough to be comfortable.

The thing that brought her mind back to that day the most, were the dark, ugly bruises that still covered her body. The nurses and doctors had, quite literally, worked their magic to try and help her make a speedy recovery. They had fixed various broken bones and internal bleeding and had put a lot of focus on healing her swollen face, so she could have some semblance of normality. The bruises that she had left, however, still covered her small body, from legs to neck. Eleanor thanked Merlin that she had long blonde hair, meaning she could wear it down and hide the vicious markings well enough from prying eyes.

“Miss Hemmingway?” Dumbledore’s soothing voice broke her from her thoughts. He made his way around his desk to stand in front of her. “I understand that this is going to be an exceedingly difficult road for you. Our teachers are aware of your situation, and I promise that you will be safe at Hogwarts. No students will hurt you here.”

Eleanor watched the man for a moment before giving him a small nod in response. Dumbledore gave a her a smile, standing straighter. “Now, let us get you to your first class. You have Transfiguration with your Head of House, Professor McGonagall.”

She shouldered her bag as she followed the headmaster from his office and down the winding staircase. One thing that she was thankful for, was to be around British people again. Eleanor was born in England but moved to America when she was 10 years old, due to her father taking a new job. While she enjoyed her time in the USA, she found that there was a comforting feeling about being back home.

They walked through the old stone halls, Dumbledore pointing out important things as they went. She got a glimpse of the library as a student went inside and felt her stomach flip with excitement at the quantity of books she saw just from the doorway. “An aptitude for studying will prove to be very handy.” The headmaster told her. Eleanor spent the rest of the walk to her class trying to memorise her way, while avoiding eye contact with curious passing students.

Dumbledore eventually led her into a classroom, and a prim looking witch, who Eleanor concluded to be McGonagall stopped mid-sentence to observe them. Eleanor immediately felt the scrutiny of around twenty pairs of eyes on her and shifted her gaze to the older woman, taking in her kind and sympathetic expression.

“Sorry to interrupt, Professor McGonagall, but I’ve brought you a new pupil.” Dumbledore placed a comforting hand on Eleanor’s shoulder, before addressing the other pupils. “This is your new classmate, Miss Eleanor Hemmingway. I do hope you make her feel welcome.”

McGonagall took a step towards her and gestured for the young girl to come further into the room. “Miss Hemmingway, there’s a spare seat at the back, if you’d like to go sit down.”

Eleanor gave her a small nod and walked to the open seat. Looking up she was met with two identical sets of brown eyes and matching smiles. Eleanor sat down in her seat and tried not to look at the two boys, she had never met identical twins before and was already curious to see if she could find something that would tell them apart. But that would probably mean staring at the red-headed pair and she was not too keen on being known as the new girl that gawps at other people.

Dumbledore and McGonagall shared a look before he left, and McGonagall returned to teaching the class. Eleanor found the right page in her textbook and tried to follow what her new Professor was saying. However, that got harder and harder as she felt both twins’ eyes burning into the side of her head. The girl was trying to take notes, but with every minute that passed she could feel the boys’ eagerness to ask her questions and she fought to stop her body’s natural reaction to curl in on itself.

After a few minutes, Professor McGonagall instructed the class to work in their tabled groups and discuss what they have just learned. The boys wasted no time in leaning in to talk to Eleanor. “I’m George, and this is Fred.” The twin sitting closer to her said. Eleanor looked at them both and took a moment to finally take them both in. Flicking her gaze between the two boys she noticed slight dissimilarities, Fred’s chin was slightly higher, and he had one dimple, George’s eyes were more almond shaped and, from how he was sat, seemed taller. The details were tiny, but they were there. “Eleanor, isn’t it?” Fred continued. She also noted that Fred’s voice was slightly higher than his twins.

The girl gave them a small nod. One similarity that stood out the most to the girl, was that both boys wore the same kind expression on their faces and had the same mischievous glint in their eyes.

“Well, Ellie, welcome to Gryffindor.” Said Fred. “The best house.” Added George. Eleanor gave them a small smile in thanks and turned back to her parchment to get on with her work, as the boys started whispering conspiratorially with each other. She did not hear exactly what they were talking about, but she heard the words ‘Peeves’, ‘Slytherin’ and ‘Puking Pastels’ and decided it was probably best if she kept out of it.

Eventually the lesson wound down to an end and all the students started to pack up their belongings. As she was putting her textbook away, she noticed Professor McGonagall approaching her desk. “Mr Weasley and Mr Weasley, Miss Hemmingway has potions with Professor Snape next. Would you be kind enough to escort her there?” She did not give any time for an answer, as she swiftly walked back to her desk at the front of the room.

Fred gave Eleanor a wide smile, as he and his brother shepherded her from the room. “Lucky you, getting Snape for potions.” He laughed as George grimaced in response. “Even we’re smart enough to keep our heads down in his lessons.” George added. Eleanor said nothing as the boys led her down countless stone steps, going deeper down into the castle.

“Oi, Angelina!” Fred’s sudden shout caused Eleanor to jump, something that George immediately picked up on, his brother oblivious as he walked on to meet up with the beautiful dark-skinned girl. “You ok?” George asked Eleanor. She could feel her embarrassment staining her cheeks and gave him an affirmative nod, clutching her bag strap to her chest with both hands.

The pair caught up with Fred and Angelina, and Eleanor immediately caught the taller girl’s attention. “You must be this infamous new girl that I’ve been hearing about. I’m Angelina, which you probably guessed seeing as Fred decided to scream it down the corridor.” Fred huffed indignantly which caused Eleanor to give an amused smile, it was clear to her that this group were quite close, their relaxed body language and teasing giving it away.

Fred noticed her smile and elbowed his brother. “See Georgie, took us an hour to get her to smile, bet we can get a laugh out of her in two.” George chuckled in response and smiled down at her. Angelina only rolled her eyes and lead the girl away. “Come on, these two will only slow us down.” Eleanor heard the boys laugh, before rushing to catch up.

Arriving at potions, the trio give Eleanor sympathetic smiles before departing for their own table in the corner of the room. Eleanor immediately noticed the potions professor stood by his desk, a sour expression on his face. Approaching him, she tried not to wilt under his unwavering glare, as he seemed to be studying her. Professor Snape was very matter of fact with his way of speaking, which Eleanor thought was a breath of fresh air, especially when all she received these days was pitying glances and sometimes condescending tones.

“Miss Hemmingway. First and foremost, I would like to inform you that there is no room for funny business in my classroom. Potions is a delicate art, which can prove to be extremely dangerous to students who don’t take it seriously.” His eyes glanced to something behind her, and she did not have to turn around to know he was looking at the table where the twins were sat.

“There’s a seat for you in the corner, today you’re working on a Draught of Living Death potion.” Eleanor’s eyes widened; she was not expecting such a complex potion on her first day. “Well?” He drawled. Sensing that this was his idea of a dismissal, Eleanor muttered a thank you and quickly took her seat.

This seat happened to be next to a Slytherin boy who gave her a grin. He brushed his sandy blonde hair back, revealing a pair of forest green eyes and a smattering of freckles dusting his nose and cheeks. Eleanor’s first thought was about how cute he was, his smile only highlighting his boyish good looks. “Hey, I’m Lucian.” He greeted. “Eleanor.” She responded, shyly.

The pair set to work on their potions, Lucian doing all the talking as they went. He mainly talked about Quidditch, and the upcoming season they had. As the class started nearing its end Snape made his way around the room, judging each student’s potion, quite ruthlessly. As he got closer Eleanor started getting more nervous, with each student failing the assignment.

Before she knew it, Snape was stood in front her cauldron. He gave it a stir and did his usual checks, finishing by bending over to smell the contents. He stood straight and readjusted his robes and she steeled herself for his critique. “Well, Miss Hemmingway has only been in this school for three hours and she’s already showing the rest of you up. I suggest you take a leaf out of her book. Five points to Gryffindor.” He said, walking back to his desk.

Eleanor’s eyes widened and she looked to Lucian, who gaped at her for a moment before quickly recovering. “Not bad.” He grinned. “For a Gryffindor.” She gave him a small smile in return and turned her attention back to Snape. While they packed away Snape berated the class for their lack of skill and set them an essay on the properties of Draught of Living Death and the importance of making it correctly.

Packing her stuff into her bag, Eleanor took a moment to look at her timetable and a sinking feeling set in as she realised, she was going to have to approach someone to ask how to get to her next class. Looking up she saw that Lucian was just putting his bag onto his shoulder, so she gently cleared her throat to try and grab his attention. He smiled at her and noticed the timetable she was holding. “Need directions?” He grinned, taking the paper from her. “Ah, Herbology. I’ve got that too; I’ll walk you down.”

Lucian waited as she shouldered her bag and led her out of the classroom and out of the dungeons. As they made their way through the castle Lucian talked about how he had spent his summer holidays in France with his grandparents, telling her all the interesting facts he had learned whilst over there. “Sorry, if you think I’m talking too much.” He said sheepishly, as they left the castle and started walking across the grounds. “It’s just, you strike me as a shy person and I just thought it would help if I did the talking for both of us. You know, to take some of that pressure off you. If you want me to shut up, then don’t hesitate to tell me.”

Eleanor looked at him as he brought up his arm to rub the back of his neck. “I don’t mind.” She said quietly, “I was enjoying your story.” Lucian grinned at her again. “Then you’ll love this one.” He told her, before jumping into a story about the time his family got lost in Berlin. Eleanor took this moment to look over the grounds, it was a sunny day, but that British October chill was creeping in, and she knew that it would not be long until she was making this journey bundled up a few more layers.

They made it to the greenhouses, and she joined the rest of the class filing in. She had just passed over the threshold when she heard a woman’s voice shouting her name. Looking over to the far end of a long table she saw a short plump woman beaming over at her. “Miss Hemmingway, welcome to your first Herbology lesson! We’re starting a new practical assignment and we’re one plant short, so you’ll have to partner up with someone.” Eleanor felt her face heat up at being singled out and when she turned back, she realised that Lucian had joined some other boys from Slytherin who were now looking at her and whispering to each other. She dropped her gaze down to her feet and slowly felt her anxiety rising in her throat. Eleanor realised quickly that the issue she was going to have with Herbology was that with no seating plan everyone was sitting in their friendship groups, something that Eleanor could not help but feel a pang of jealousy at. Back at Ilvermorny, there had been a girl Eleanor had been able to call a friend, even though said girl only sat with her during free periods when she needed help with her homework.

She started to grasp at her bag strap when she felt someone come and stand next to her. Eleanor immediately felt herself tense due to the closeness of the stranger but relaxed slightly when she looked up and was met by a familiar shock of red hair and brown almond shaped eyes.

“Hey newbie, you want to partner with me?” He grinned. She gave him a grateful smile and followed him over to where his plant was set up “Thank you, George.” She said quietly.

His grin immediately faltered as he regarded her with curiosity. “How did you know I was George?” He asked, not bothering to hide his intrigue. Eleanor felt her face reddening, her fear of being the weird new kid feeling like it was becoming a reality. Luckily, she was saved as Professor Sprout clapped her hands together and started the lesson. Eleanor did her best to solely focus on what Professor Sprout was talking about and tried to get her cheeks to cool down, which was proving to be easier said than done when she could feel the twin glancing at her every so often.

When Professor Sprout had finished talking it was time for them to turn to their plant, a Venomous Tentacula. Eleanor was secretly pleased that it was the plant chosen for her first class, as she had already studied this plant at her old school. She started her checks and begun writing down what she was finding, while George watched her work, jotting down notes and occasionally making his own observations.

“So how _did_ you know?” George asked, after a moment of working in silence.

Eleanor looked up from the Tentacula between them to the red-haired boy. “Know what?” Her eyebrows furred in confusion.

“That I’m George.”

Eleanor was suddenly extremely interested in the grooves in her quill as she played with it in her hands. “I don’t know, there’s just small differences.” George eyed her playfully, making a thoughtful “Hmm” and turning his attention back to their assignment. Eleanor was in the middle of trying to shake her embarrassment when she saw George reaching across to touch the Tentacula, his hand going straight for one of the poisonous barbs. Eleanor did not even think, as her hand whipped out and grabbed his, pulling it away from the plant.

George, as expected, looked surprised. “Be careful not to touch those, they’re really dangerous.” She explained quietly.

“Oh, well cheers newbie.” He smiled. Eleanor Looked at him and suddenly realised that she was still holding his hand. Mortified, she quickly snatched her hand back and focused her attention back to her work. The pair worked in a companionable silence for the rest of the lesson, occasionally pointing stuff out and writing down their notes.

The lesson wound down and Eleanor joined the rest of her class in packing away her belongings. She took her timetable out of her pocket and realised that she had finished her last class for the day, and that it was going to be time to tackle the social minefield that was dinner with the rest of her house. Just as she was deciding whether she could skip dinner her train of thought was derailed by a large hand waving in front of her face.

“Newbie? You in there?” Eleanor felt her face redden, a trait she was beginning to become rather annoyed with, and quickly apologised. “Sorry.” She said quietly, “What were you saying?”

“I just wanted to know if you fancied joining my friends for dinner.” He smiled, “I think Angelina definitely took a liking to you, so she’d be really offended if you didn’t.” Eleanor felt the corners of her mouth lift into a small bashful smile, as she nodded.

“Wicked.” The red head grinned, “Come on then.” He set off walking, his long legs setting a pace that had Eleanor almost jogging to catch up with. “Oh, sorry.” He said when he noticed her struggle, his expression turning sheepish. “I’m used to walking with Fred.” She gave him a smile and together they walked back up to the main castle, towards the Great Hall, with George pointing out the locations of his and Fred’s best pranks.

Arriving at the Great Hall, George shepherded Eleanor halfway down the Gryffindor table to where she saw Fred, Angelina, and another boy she had not yet met sitting and chatting together. George dropped into the seat next to his twin, and Eleanor sat down next to him, directly across from Angelina. “Newbie is joining us.” George announced. “And you all have to be nice to her because she just saved me a trip to the infirmary.” At Angelina’s concerned look he added, “Plants are dangerous.” At this Fred rolled his eyes, “Now you have someone to look after you when I’m not there.”

“Eleanor, this is Lee Jordan.” George informed her, gesturing across to the table to the mystery boy. “He’s great at transfiguration in case you need help. He’s also our esteemed Quidditch commentator.” Lee gave her a wide smile, “I’ve heard you don’t need help in potions though. At least I know who to come to when Snape is breathing down my neck.”

Fred laughed, “Honestly, it was brilliant! Snape looked like he was in pain, having to give out some actual praise.”

At the end of the hall, Dumbledore approached his podium and Eleanor joined the rest of the hall as they diverted their attention to him. He gave a small speech about the upcoming Quidditch season and about how much he was looking forward to seeing how the teams had advanced from last year. “And just before we tuck into our delightful meal.” He added, “Let us not forget that although we sit in separate houses, we are all one family. The people you meet at Hogwarts may change your life forever, so remember to treat each other with kindness, and look after one another.” With that he left his podium and the food appeared on the tables. Eleanor watched as everyone started to dig in, but she could not help but feel like the last part of the Headmaster’s speech was for her benefit.

Putting some food on her plate, Eleanor was quite happy sitting and listening to the group’s conversation about the upcoming Quidditch tournament. Eleanor had liked Quidditch at her own school, she was quite a good flyer, but she never had the guts to try out for the team.

Angelina turned her attention to Eleanor, “So, where did you go before Hogwarts?” The rest of the group turned to her, clearly interested in her answer.

Eleanor swallowed her mouthful of food, “Ilvermorny.” She informed them quietly. Lee Jordan’s eyebrows raised at this. “Ilvermorny? That’s in the states isn’t it?” Eleanor nodded in confirmation. “You don’t sound American.” Lee frowned. Eleanor gave him a smile, “I’m not, we moved over there when I was 10.” This answer appeased the boy, his mouth forming into a small ‘O’.

“Why did you leave?” Fred asked bluntly, looking very curious at this point. Eleanor put her hands in her lap to try and hide that they were shaking. She had rehearsed her answer to this question hundreds of times already, but just the thought of that school was giving her cottonmouth. “My dad’s job.” She lied, “We moved to America because of it, and then we moved back.” Eleanor gave them a forced smile, which she hoped they would not notice, and picked up her goblet to take a sip.

“What do your parent’s do?” Angelina asks her. Eleanor paused, she considered lying before she remembered what Dumbledore had said to her in his office. This is a safe place. “My dad is a lawyer.” She said quietly, “My mum is a midwife.”

“Oh, you’re, muggleborn.” Angelina smiled. Eleanor could not stop the panic that started to claw its way up her throat, an emotion that must have shown on her face as George quickly chimed in. “Don’t worry, there’s loads of muggleborn students here. We don’t care about that stuff.”

Luckily, the conversation moved on, the students now discussing Sirius Black and the Dementors that were stationed around the school.

***

After dinner Eleanor was back in her dorm, getting her pyjamas out of her trunk and thinking back over the day. The people she had met so far had been exceedingly kind to her, and she let herself hope that maybe this could be the start of her first ever friendship group.

Straightening she put her pyjamas on her bed and listened out. She was seemingly alone and could not hear anyone coming so she started to change. She changed her trousers first, but not before checking out the bruises that marred her pale skin. They were still the same ugly and purple big splotches that covered her legs, the worst being around her ankle where the boys that had attacked her had stomped on it until it broke. She felt tears in her eyes and pulled her pants on quickly, not wanting to look at them anymore. When she pulled her school shirt off, she was just picking up her pyjama top when he heard a loud gasp from the doorway.

Eleanor jumped and whirled around, bringing her pyjama top up to her chest to try and cover herself up. She saw Angelina, who was stood staring at her with large eyes, which were assessing the damage she could now see on the front of the smaller girl’s body. “Eleanor, what happened?”

Eleanor’s eyes quickly filled with tears and she tried her best to cover her skin. Angelina was still watching the girl, but her brain quickly put 2 and 2 together. “Is this why you had to leave Ilvermorny?” She asked quietly. Eleanor slowly nodded; she could feel shame sneaking up her spine. “Is it because you’re muggleborn?” Angelina continued, “Is that why you looked so scared when George brought it up at dinner?”

Eleanor could not help the small sob that left her as she let her tears fall. Angelina immediately rushed to the girl and sat her down on the bed, wrapping her arms around her into a tight but comforting hug. “I promise I won’t tell anyone, if that’s what you want.” She told Eleanor soothingly, running her hand through her hair. “But I promise I won’t let anyone do this to you again. You’re my friend now, and I’ll look after you.”

Dumbledore had told Eleanor that Hogwarts was a safe place, and she was starting to believe him.


	2. Forming a Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An admission and heart to heart bring Eleanor further out of her shell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter was so well received, so you can have number 2 early.

It had been two days since Eleanor’s heart to heart with Angelina and the taller girl had been true to her word, she had not seen a single sign that anyone knew her secret. It was now Saturday morning at Hogwarts and Eleanor was sat quietly eating her breakfast alone in the Great Hall. Angelina and the twins had gone to Quidditch practise, so Eleanor was taking the quiet time to finish Snape’s potions essay whilst having some toast.

She had no sooner finished her last sentence before she felt two bodies drop down either side of her. “Hey Newbie.” Fred greeted, reaching across Eleanor to grab some cereal. “You know, weekends are a time to relax.” George continued, pinching a slice of toast from her plate, dropping crumbs on her essay.

Eleanor huffed and tried to get the crumbs off without smudging the ink. “Well, you’re all a month ahead of me. I’m trying to catch up with the rest of you.”

“That’s fair.” George replied, through a mouthful of food. Eleanor rolled her eyes playfully at him and started to put her essay away, happy that the ink was dry enough. What she missed was the twins exchanging a look with each other while her head was down.

“How was practise?” She asked, sitting back up and reaching across for more toast, making sure her sleeve covered her whole arm. She looked between the twins and saw them smile conspiratorially at each other, “You know what, I actually don’t want to know.” She backtracked, taking a bite of her breakfast.

A gentle elbow in her side had her looking back towards George as he smiled gently at her. “Hey El, do you think you’d be able to take a look at my Potions essay?” Eleanor smiled back at him, “Of course I can.” George grinned and took his parchment out of his bag and set it down on the table. Eleanor read through it carefully and occasionally made changes and suggestions, with George writing down everything she was saying. She gave it one last once over and passed it back to him, “That should be ok.” She smiled.

George grinned at her and pulled her into a one-armed hug. Eleanor felt her face heat up at the sudden contact and when he pulled away, she tried to concentrate on her toast. When she had finished, she cleared her throat and started to get up, “I’ve got more work to do so I’m going to grab my stuff and head to the library. I’ll see you later?”

Fred gave her a smile, “Sure, see you later, Newbie.” She gave them a small wave and left the hall, heading to the common room.

Just as she was walking up to the portrait it swung open and Angelina came out, followed by Alicia Spinnet. Alicia was another friend of Angelina’s who was also a chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. The three of them shared a dorm room together so Eleanor had talked to her a few times now, and she was always genuinely nice and polite to her.

“Hey Leesh, I’ll meet you down at the Hall. I just want to ask Eleanor a question.” Angelina told the girl. Alicia smiled at them both and set off down the stairs, “I’ll save you a seat next to Fred.” She called back over her shoulder.

Angelina shook her head in amusement and turned her attention back to Eleanor. “How are you doing today?” She asked quietly. Eleanor started pulling at her sleeves, a nervous habit she had seemed to pick up the last few days. “I’m ok, just grabbing my stuff and going down to the library.”

Angelina looked at her, “Okay, I’m going to go and grab something to eat. Do you want me to join you afterwards?” Eleanor smiled in response, “No, thank you. I’ll just be doing homework and catching up, you should enjoy your weekend.” Angelina seemed like she wanted to argue but just gave her a smile instead, “Alright, I’ll see you later then.” She gave Eleanor a quick hug and retreated down the stairs to the hall. Eleanor watched her go and then turned back to go get her things.

***

So far Eleanor was in awe of the library. It had books on possibly everything in the magical world and more than once she had become distracted by books that were completely irrelevant to what she was studying.

She was just reading through a particularly interesting paragraph about alternative uses for Murtlap Essence when someone dropped into the chair opposite her. “So, this is where you’ve been hiding all day.” Eleanor looked up from her book and smiled at Fred. “Yeah, I think I’m all caught up now. I just got distracted.” She gestured to the book in front of her.

Fred grinned at her, “We were starting to get worried, thought maybe Madam Pince had locked you in a cupboard for sneezing too loud, or something.” Eleanor grinned back at him, “Sorry, Fred.”

“How _do_ you tell us a part? Fred asked, resting his head in his hands. Eleanor shrugged her shoulders in response, “Just small things.” She told him, closing her book.

“Like…” Fred prompted.

“Did you need me for something?” Eleanor asked politely, trying to change the subject. Fred sat up and put his bag on the table, rummaging through it. “Yes, actually. I was hoping you could help me out with my Charms homework.” He pulled some dog-eared parchment from his bag. Eleanor’s eyebrows raised in surprise, “Yeah, of course.” Fred grinned and moved his chair around the table to sit next to her.

Going over his work Eleanor read through his answers and the further through she got the more her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She had sat next to Fred in Charms yesterday and he seemed very proficient in the subject, in fact some of the questions he had gotten wrong he had known the answers to the previous day.

She fixed the issues and Fred stayed for a little while longer, whispering to her about a new prank the boys were working on before gathering his stuff and setting off to meet up with Lee and George. “How odd.” She muttered to herself. Eleanor decided to put it down to him being distracted by his new prank and settled back in her chair, re-opening her book.

***

Sitting in the common room Eleanor had taken to reading in front of the fire to pass time until dinner. She felt someone drop down on the couch next to her and she did not even need to look up to work out who it was. “Hey El.” George greeted, “We’ve missed you today.”

Eleanor felt herself blush and gave him a small smile. “Sorry, I’ve just been trying to get on top of everything. I think I’ve got it all now though.” George looked at her surprised, “You’ve managed to catch up with a month’s worth of work in one day?” At her nod he gave a low whistle, “You could give Hermione a run for her money.”

“Where’s Fred and Lee?” She asked him. George put his feet up on the coffee table and lounged back on the sofa, “They’re with Angelina and Alicia.” He told her, “Hey, after dinner would you be able to go over my History homework?” George asked her.

Eleanor felt her shoulders sag as a feeling of dread crept up her spine. There was a sense of familiarity closing in on her. Back at Ilvermorny other students would normally use her for homework help and once they were no longer behind, she would cease to exist to them. She closed her book slowly, putting it on the table and sat up a bit straighter, dropping her hands into her lap. George noticed and leaned forward in concern, “El, you alright?” He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Eleanor took a deep breath and turned her head to look at the taller boy. “George, if you need help with your homework you don’t have to pretend to be friends with me.” She said quietly. George’s eyes widened so much that if it were a different situation Eleanor would have laughed.

“El, that’s not what’s happening at all!” Eleanor bit the inside of her cheek and was set on just looking dead ahead at the fireplace, until two large hands grabbed her own smaller ones and she turned to look at him. George was looking at her with concern filled eyes as he scootched closer to her on the sofa. “El, the reason Fred and I have been asking for your help was to try and make you feel more comfortable.” At the girls confused expression George continued, “You just seem so shy and nervous, but when you’re working you just become so relaxed. We just wanted to make you feel more comfortable around us, so we’ve been making mistakes on purpose to get you to help.”

Eleanor searched his face for any signs of a lie but all she saw was sincerity. “Sorry.” She told him, looking down at her hands that she realised were still encompassed in George’s. “Don’t apologise.” He scolded gently, “I’m the one that’s sorry. We didn’t mean to upset you; we do genuinely want to be your friends.” He smiled at her and Eleanor felt herself blush, “Thank you, George.”

Eleanor took her hands away and stood up, “Shall we start going down for dinner?” George grinned at her and jumped up from his seat, “Of course. But seriously though, can you help me with my History homework? Professor Binns is going to kill me if I miss another essay.” Eleanor could not stop the laugh that escaped her, which made George look immensely proud of himself.

The pair started to make their way to the portrait hole, and they had just made it to the door when Fred came barrelling through and knocked into them, sending Eleanor to the floor with a yelp. “ _Shit!_ ” Fred exclaimed, “I’m so sorry, Newbie!” George slapped his arm as they knelt to help her up. “You ok, El?” George asked.

Eleanor pushed herself into a sitting position and rolled her shoulders, “Yeah, I think so.” She told them. When she looked up, she noticed that both the boys were staring at her with wide eyes. “What’s wrong?” She asked. Looking down at herself she saw that the jumper she was wearing had ridden up, giving the twins a good look at the bruising that covered her side.

“Newbie.” Fred said slowly, “What happened?” Eleanor quickly pulled her jumper down and pulled her knees up to her chest. “El, did someone do this to you?” George pushed. Eleanor felt tears prick her eyes as she pushed herself up from the floor. The twins watched her as she moved back over to the sofas and slowly sat down.

The boys followed her and sat next to each other on the coffee table so they could sit opposite her. “Did someone here do that to you?” George asked, it was obvious to her that he was trying to keep his voice steady, but there was an underlying anger there. “If it is, I’ll bloody kill ‘em.” Fred added.

Eleanor shook her head. “It was a group of boys at my old school.” She told them, her voice practically a whisper. “They didn’t like the fact that I was muggleborn.” She said bitterly, “They snapped my wand and beat me up, if it wasn’t for the caretaker who found me, I don’t know what would have happened.” She finished with a quiet sob as she put her head in her hands. Not seeing how Fred’s jaw clenched tightly and George sat seething.

In sync the twins moved to sit either side of her on the sofa, both putting an arm around her. “No one here will touch you.” Fred told her, his tone adamant. “And if they try to, they’ll have to get through us first.” George ended.

The trio sat like that until Eleanor calmed down and got her bearings. “Please, promise me you won’t tell anyone. The teachers already know but I don’t want it around school.” She begged them.

“We promise.” The twins said in unison. She gave them both a grateful smile before wiping her eyes and standing up. “We should go down to dinner, or we’ll be late.”

The boys smiled back and stood up, “El.” George said gently, “I know you don’t want to now, but if you ever want to talk, we’re here for you.” Eleanor did not say anything, instead she walked towards him and wrapped her arms around his middle, there was no hesitation as George wrapped his arms around her too. There was an exaggerated ‘Aww’ and suddenly Fred was wrapping his arms around the pair of them. The action caused Eleanor to laugh, which soon had the twins joining in. “Right!” She announced, pulling away. “Food! I’m starving, I accidentally missed dinner.”

“Looks like I have another one to look after now.” Fred joked, leading the trio out of the common room.

They walked down to the hall together and Eleanor noticed that the twins had decided to stand either side of her and were closer than usual. She suddenly came to the realisation that she had only been at Hogwarts, and known her new friends for three days, yet she already felt safer than she had in years.

***

After dinner Eleanor had just finished getting changed when Angelina walked into the dorm. “You seemed particularly chipper at dinner tonight.” She said slyly. Eleanor sat on the edge of her bed and fiddled with the hem of her pyjama top, “Fred and George know.” At this Angelina’s eyes widened, “I swear I didn’t say anything.” She rushed out.

Eleanor smiled at her friend, “I know, they saw the bruises, I told them myself.” Angelina joined her on the edge of the bed, “How did that go?” She asked cautiously. Eleanor ran a hand through her hair and looked at Angelina, “Surprisingly well. I think they’re starting a hit list.” Eleanor noticed that Angelina looked deep in thought, and she realised that she had yet to tell her new friend what had happened to her. “I was beaten and left for dead in an unused corridor at Ilvermorny.” She said quietly. Angelina whipped her head round and stared at Eleanor in horror, and the girl took a steadying breath before continuing, “They broke my wand and pushed me to the ground, they started hitting me, but I blacked out for most of it.” Eleanor couldn’t stop the tears falling as she continued, “I woke up in hospital, luckily with no lasting physical damage. My parents decided they wanted to bring me back to England, I think they thought that getting as far away as possible would help me recover.”

“Has it?” Angelina asked carefully, intertwining her hand with Eleanor’s. Eleanor let herself think about her answer before she spoke. “Yes and no. Getting away from that…place…I don’t feel as scared, I don’t feel as if I’m looking over my shoulder anymore. But at the same time, I’ll never get a chance to confront the people that did this to me.”

Angelina squeezed her hand gently, “Thank you for telling me El.” Eleanor leaned into her, “You know, when I arrived here, I was so determined to just keep myself to myself, and in three days that plan has completely gone out of the window.” She heard Angelina chuckle, “What can I say, Gryffindors are very persistent.” She told the smaller girl.

Footsteps and talking sounded in the stairwell and Angelina moved away from Eleanor as Alicia and the two other girls she shared the dorm with entered the room giggling about something. Alicia looked at the pair and grinned, “We managed to charm some of the boys into giving us their sweets.” She told them, “Girls night?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. Eleanor felt Angelina nudge her, and she saw the girl smiling broadly at her. Eleanor smiled back at Alicia, “That sounds fun.” She agreed.

Alicia cheered and the girls set up a little seating area in the middle of the dorm with blankets and cushions. They talked and laughed well into the early hours of the morning, and Eleanor had to admit that as first girls’ nights go, it was a rather good one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pleaser Kudos and comment, let me know what you think.  
> \- K. Keller

**Author's Note:**

> Please Kudos and comment! Let me know if you want more.  
> \- K. Keller


End file.
